Menu: Sound of Music Picnic

For this year's Sound of Music show at Mountain Play, I created a picnic menu that was Austrian-inspired with a decidedly California-flair.  Turned off by the prospect of frying up pounds of weiner schnitzel, I created a foundation of three simple dishes: a medley of sausages, grilled artichokes and a vinegar potato salad. We had quite a meal combining those with a charcuterie plate, radishes, green beans, jarlsberg cheese, crackers, wine and brown bread.  Plus, the amazing dishes everyone else brought too! To serve 16, it took about $80 in supplies and three hours of cooking the day before.

Medley of Five Sausages
This couldn't be easier! I picked five kinds of sausages, including mini bratwurst and a kielbasa, and cooked them on a stovetop griddle pan. Sliced into thin wedges before artfully arranging in a tin lined with parchment paper to refrigerate: 

Salt + Vinegar Potato Salad
I doubled and modified a great recipe from Shutterbean for this potato salad that could go without refrigeration. Quickly pickled sliced red onion in vinegar and salt. Combined with boiled and skinned yellow potatoes.

I added thinly sliced celery for crunch. Italian parsley and green onion for color. Dressed with olive oil, more vinegar, salt, pepper and celery salt.

Grilled Artichokes with Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette
Another simple, tasty and picnic-friendly dish!  I boiled eight small artichokes and drained them. Then cut the artichokes into quarters with a very sharp knife and cleaned the hearts.

I made a vinaigrette with juice from three lemons, six cloves of minced garlic, a teaspoon of black truffle mustard, heaping tablespoons of olive oil and salt + pepper.  Brushed the artichokes liberally inside and out before cooking on the griddle pan.

Wine Spritzers
With the heat and high altitude, it is best to drink spritzers instead of straight wine at the picnic. These combined cold Rosé with berry sparkling water and fresh berries.

Bonus Point: Von Trapp Farm Cheese
Rebecca supplied a wonderfully on-theme intermission snack: cheese from the von Trapp Farm in Vermont with crusty baguette

There you have it: one simple, delicious and relatively-healthy Sound of Music menu for your next picnic!